Today’s ride was another great day in the saddle. The weather was beautiful and we had no issues along the way. We did have clear blue skies for the later part of the day, which is pretty, but also a little more toasty for riding.
We left our BnB south of Loveland just about 8AM. It was a pleasantly cool morning as we packed up our gear and rolled north. Unlike the previous two days’ riding, today was entirely on paved bike trails. We used the Little Miami Trail to head north from Loveland to Xenia, then the Prairie Grass Trail from Xenia to Cedarville. No dogs or cars to worry about.
Last night we all agreed that a good breakfast was in order. I did a little searching and found that Paxton’s in Loveland was open for breakfast on this weekend. We stopped there and had a leisurely breakfast. I opted for a 3-egg omelette with all types of veggies. It was delicious. It was also huge, so it was basically enough to power me through until this afternoon when we arrived in Cedarville.
The four of us are all very familiar with the Little Miami Trail. In the Spring or Fall, if there is a forecasted “epic weather” day, we will sometimes take a day off of work to come up and put in a long day of 100 miles on the trail. The Little Miami Trail follows the Little Miami River from just east of Cincinnati up to Xenia. It is a converted and paved rail line that makes a great place to cycle. There is a beautiful canopy of trees over most of the trail which provides shade and makes for beautiful scenery.
We stopped a few times along the way for water, snacks, or to stretch the legs. Today’s ride was shorter than the last two, but I’m a bit more tired today than after yesterday’s hard 75 mile day. I’m guessing it is the cumulative fatigue catching up with me.
Our home for tonight is the Hearthstone Inn in Cedarville, OH. The Hearthstone is a small family-run hotel that does a fantastic job of catering to the riders who come through town. I highly recommend staying at the Hearthstone if you are cycling through.
Cedarville is a small town with a college, but not a whole lot else. There is a Mexican restaurant across the street, so we went there for dinner. It was good and filling.
Tomorrow’s ride takes me into familiar territory. We’ll head north-east to downtown Columbus. I work for the Pontifical College Josephinum, which is a seminary on the north side of Columbus. I try to get up there several days each month and often cycle the Columbus area. We’ll cycle on a couple of connector trails with only a mile or two of road riding to get us from Cedarville to downtown Columbus.
I think this evening will likely be a quiet evening of hanging out with the guys and an early bed time. Everyone seems a bit quiet, so I think we’re all a bit tired.
Until tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with rest.
Peace,
– Dcn. Matt
Deacon Matt's Blog 